All children deserve the chance to learn, make friends, experience fun and build positive relationships with caring adults.

Laraway’s 39-acre campus is alive with recreational and therapeutic activity!

Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter are followed by soccer, volleyball and gardening activities in spring. The Lamoille River flows along the edge of our property, providing an accessible spot for fishing and canoeing. Hiking, biking, gardening and even bread-baking are among the activities offered.

Seasonal rituals include apple cidering, maple sugaring and an our annual talent show with aspiring singers, dancers and stand-up comedians.

After School activities and a Summer Program find our kids creating art, cooking meals together, enjoying movie nights, volunteering at the local animal shelter or food shelf, and discovering some of Vermont’s best swimming holes.

At Laraway, we recognize and celebrate the therapeutic and educational value of hands-on learning, rigorous physical activity and play.

Laraway School

​Laraway School is a licensed special education independent school and a coeducational day treatment center serving students, ages 5-22 in grades K-12.

Who do we serve? Our VT Agency of Education licensure allows us to serve students who experience:

Emotional Disability

Specific Learning Disability

Intellectual Impairment

Other Health Impairment

Speech/Language Impairment

Orthopedic Impairment

Visual Impairment

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Traumatic Brain Injury

Multiple Disabilities

We support students who have been less successful in traditional educational placements.

How do we support our students? We support students by providing:

Highly structured educational and therapeutic environments

Small group and individual instruction across all subject areas

Trauma-informed therapeutic elements with a Positive Behavior Management System based on Brendtro’s Circle of Courage and Goldstein’s Social Skills

Outdoor Education and Challenge by Choice adventure-based therapeutic experiences from day trips to camping

Child Nutrition Program, including local produce and garden-to-table breakfast and lunch for all students

Project-Based Learning which includes shop, sugaring, cidering and other seasonal and individualized activities

Students are arranged in small groups with sensitivity to age and educational and therapeutic needs. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or multi-year plans dictate services and accommodations for each student in the group setting.

Classroom assistants are assigned to each class. Some students receive 1:1 support based on needs. Students experiencing severe and multiple challenges may spend much of their day engaged in community based learning activities.

School staff members are trained in their discipline and cross-trained in mental health and treatment protocols. Students’ education, behavior and treatment plans are reviewed by the full staffing team. Positive supports are put in place to ensure success. Our school incorporates a model of Universal Design and Differentiated Instruction, providing students the best opportunity for success in core subject areas.

Residential Treatment Program
We operate a licensed residential treatment program, Foote Brook, in Johnson. This adventure-based program serves youth who need a higher level of structure and supervision than foster care.

Child Placing Agency
We are also licensed by the State of Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) to approve foster homes in order to provide children in foster care with opportunities to develop positive connections with their families and the community. Youth are referred by DCF and are typically stepping down from residential programs or are at risk of being admitted to a residential program.

Who we are:
Substitute Care services are provided by highly skilled case managers, community and residential support staff, and
in-house clinicians. We also have a cadre of committed, capable and genuinely caring foster parents.

What we do:

Locate, screen, train and support therapeutic foster homes

Facilitate relationships to help kids and families meet their goals

Help youth and families establish healthier bonds

Facilitate professional case management

Provide mentoring

Facilitate Mediation

Connect youth in foster care with opportunities in the community

Promote collaboration and teaming

Foster empathy and understanding

Help youth develop cultural awareness

Provide communication to promote transparency

Provide crisis support and intervention

Provide community based opportunities to youth in foster care

Provide values based experiential growth opportunities in a group home setting

Facilitate transition planning

Promote empowerment of the youth and families we serve

Safe Environment Standards

Laraway Youth & Family Services’ Substitute Care Program provides residential placement and treatment services under contract with the Vermont Department for Children and Families. As a result of this relationship, these programs must comply with the standards in accordance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). To that end, Laraway has developed these safe environmental standards for those programs.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Laraway has a zero tolerance policy regarding sexual abuse and sexual harassment of individuals. This prohibition is supported by the agency’s Ethics and Conduct Policy, the Policy Prohibiting Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Abuse of Clients and the Policies and Procedures addressing the Prison Rape Elimination Act in our Employee Handbook, as well as the Workplace Violence, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Abuse Policy in the Employee Handbook. All staff members, contractors, interns, or volunteers working with or having direct contact with residents of our residential facilities are required to sign a form stating they understand the zero tolerance policy and their role as a mandatory reporter.

Reporting Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment

Residents are encouraged to report any sexual abuse or sexual harassment by another resident or by a staff member. They may report to any Laraway staff member, to an outside organization, or anonymously by completing the report form and placing it in the PREA Report box at the facility. PREA Reporting and Program Grievance Form.

Laraway will accept third-party reports of sexual assault or sexual harassment from a resident’s friends or family member, the resident’s attorney, or any other member of the community.

All Laraway staff members are required to immediately report any knowledge or suspicion of sexual abuse or sexual harassment to their immediate supervisor, the facility PREA Compliance Manager, the PREA Coordinator, or the Director of Compliance.

All reports of alleged sexual abuse and sexual harassment will be administratively investigated by the agency. All reports will be taken seriously and investigated in a timely and thorough manner. Additionally, according to Mandated Reporter requirements, all incidents will be reported to the Family Services Division of the VT Department for Children and Families. Anonymous reports will be accepted.

To report an allegation of sexual abuse or sexual harassment to Laraway, use any of the following options:

All reports of sexual abuse will be reported to DCF for investigation. Laraway will conduct administrative investigations of all sexual abuse and sexual harassment allegations. If the administrative investigation identifies possible criminal behavior, Laraway will refer it to the local agency with legal authority to investigate the allegation and, if applicable, to the appropriate licensing body.

In compliance with the PREA Standards, Laraway will post on this website each year’s data regarding founded allegations of sexual abuse on our programs. Laraway will annually review the data, along with other relevant information, and evaluate the effectiveness of our sexual abuse activities, policies, procedures, and training to determine if any changes are warranted and if so, identify what actions were implemented.

The Backpack Program provides comprehensive, strengths-based, individualized supports to children and youth K-12 in the public school setting. The mission of the program is to eliminate barriers to academic achievement; capitalize on child, youth and family strengths; and promote positive social, emotional and behavioral growth in children and youth. Our goal is to provide the skills and strategies to the children in our program so that they may become successful independent learners in their school community. We want to work ourselves out of a job!

The Backpack Program works collaboratively with its public school partners to provide support to both the children and their families to provide a wrap of services.

How does the Backpack Program support kids and schools?

Improve availability for learning across academic settings

Support social skill development

Enhance positive peer and adult relationships

Provide targeted individualized behavioral supports

Teach self-regulation and coping skills

Promote positive school engagement, belonging and inclusion

Increase community connections and inclusion

Utilize trauma informed care practices

Focus on the development of independence based skills in support of working autonomously in the school setting

Our therapeutic philosophy is based on a belief in the fundamental goodness of all people. Our work is to help individuals and/or families realize their internal and external resources and to support their natural drive towards health. We strive to meet you where you are at and to provide the individualized treatment that best meets your needs. We understand that nobody knows what you need better than you.

The therapeutic relationship becomes a place to practice and define new ways of relating to others and dealing with stressful situations in the here and now. This relationship provides a space for self-exploration and awareness, honest feedback and practicing new ways of being in the world. It is also about sharing authentic experiences---of joy, anger, sadness or other emotions.

The Clinical Program's full-time therapist is Mag Sladyk- Benoit who also provides individual, group and family therapy. Mag is a master’s level licensed clinical social worker who has worked in this field for almost 25 years. She brings experience from working in a local mental health agency for 16 years and having her own psychotherapy practice for 7 years. Her practice scope over the years has focused almost solely on working with children and adolescents. She provides therapy services across programs at Laraway Youth and Family Services; the Laraway School, Backpack Program and Substitute Care. In addition, she sees individuals from the community and spends time in a local elementary school offering therapy services.

Laraway Land Stewardship Program

The Laraway campus is located on 39 acres along the banks of the historic Lamoille River. Diversity and beauty best describe the landscape of the campus. Our perennial gardens along with seasonal vegetable and herb gardens provide educational and therapeutic experiences for the Laraway community.

A place where young can cultivate their inner strengths and well being

Volunteer with us! Our Land Stewardship Team is looking for volunteers to help us maintain our 1/2-acre vegetable garden, orchards and perennial gardens. We also have opportunities working with our community of young people on outside gardening activities and related projects. See position description below and required background check form below. Note: Laraway assumes fee for Background Check.